The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-09-22
MOUNTAINS OE SUGAR.
The Tremendous Quantities OF Saccharin.
Consumed in This Country.

The Tremendous Quantities OF Saccharfne
Consumed in This Country.
Americans ought to be the sweetest
people on earth if, as has been asserted,
food goes to make the race. The guam
tity of sweets landed at this port dur
! ing year would amaze any one who
has not given the subject special atten-
ton. 1t would appear that Americans
are preserved in sugar. anoat on rivers
of saccharine. From West Indies black
I strap to golden syrup, from dainty
lady-fngers to solid pound cake. from
molasses candy to the most delicious
bonbons, Americans beat all other peo-
pies as absorbers of saccharine, the
French not excepted. No adequate
/ idea of the enormous quantity of sugar
consumed in this country can be con-
veyed by statement in pounds. The
! figures, however, indicate that Uncle
/ Sam has tremendous sweet tooth.
The total sugar importations for the
year 1886 amounted to 2.49S, 1872. 600
pounds, or about 100000 tons, valued
at S71,604,693. To this tremendous
aggregate Cuba alone contributed
1.201. 500. 900 pounds; Brazil sent 223.-
062. 600 pounds; Germany (beet sugar.,
! 203. 2SS, 900 pounds, and the Sandwich
Islands Gree sugar) 191, 622, 900 pounds.
Smaller quantities were imported from
the West Indies and other countries.
To the aggregate of imports must be
added the domestic product to find the
total consumption of sugar in the
United States.
The best imported sugar is the GEN.
! trifugal, in form of coarse crystalline
particles, varying in size according to
the grade or quality of the article. The
lowest form of the product is called
melada, thick sirup, of which COM
parativcly little is now imported.
Samples of sugar are taken from r
specified number of casks of every cargo
by Government samplers and sent to
experts, who determine the grade rs a
basis of fixing the duty thereon. The
instrument employed to indicate the
degree of variation in the quality of
sugar is called polariscope, and a
variation of one degree means differ
ence of 1-44th of l per cent. duty, a
small fraction. but on millions of pounds
it means thousands of dollars.
The manner of handling sugar in the
port has recently undergone change.
1t is another instance of the condensa-
ton of business methods. whereby the
same results are obtained by fewer
workers. Formerly the great bulk of
sugar was stored in the warehouses and
Withdrawn by refiners from time to
time-a method which gave employ
ment to great number of coopers and
laborers. Now the bulk of it goes di-
rect to the refineries. and good many
workmen have lost their occupation in
consequence.
In the busy season, which usually be-
gins about March l and ends about the
middle of July, as many as twenty-five
! or thirty vessels are distributed at one
time along the Brooklyn water front,
discharging their cargocs. An idea of
the bulk of an average sugar cargo can
only be formed by seeing, say 1,600
hogsheads, of an average weight of !, 800
pounds, spread out upon the dock. One
hundred of such cargoes, if piled in
the form of pyramid, would make
sugar Cheops. Every package is
weighed by a Government officer or
sworn special. The former receives 81
4 day, six days in the week; the other
so cents al hour for actual service.
The weigher's position is no sinecure.
He is worker. He must stand at the
scales from seven a. m. until sunset; he
must endure blazing suns and face the
coolest winds.
What becomes of the million tons OF
imported sugar. not to mention the do
mestic product? Ask the ladies, ask
the children, ask the baker and the
confectioner, ask the housekeeper.
1t goes into millions of cups of coffee
and tea daily; into cakes. preserves and
pies; into fruits and sauces and hum
dred other things. The Western flap
Jack swims in saccharine fluid; it per-
meates the luscious griddle cake. The
cunning confectioner and skilled house
wife mold the crude article into multi
form artistic shapes and invest the sub
stance with a delicious consistency.
If the supply were suddenly stopped,
society would be converted into sa uer-
kraut.-N Y. Erening Sun.